SBIR Phase I: Reactive and Refractory Metal Processing

这个小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目将展示一种改进的方法，在中到大规模生产先进的反应性和难熔金属合金。提出的概念将为使用清洁熔化技术生产合金、铸件和粉末提供一条途径。例如，先进的钛合金需要特殊的工艺来保持其材料性能。这一过程将允许开发专用合金，而无需大型和昂贵的铸造工艺和轧机的成本和复杂性。待开发的工艺将采用纯元素材料，并在一个直接循环中生产铸件或粉末。一期项目将重点设计和建造一个熔炉来实现这些目标，并将开发成功熔化、合金化和熔体输送的关键加工路线。即将开发的概念钻机将采用电弧和感应冷坩埚的混合形式。该项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力将是为开发专业和先进的反应性和耐火合金创造新的方法。目前还没有经济可行的途径使这些合金从小型实验室规模的实验转移到大规模的商业应用。这种新工艺将加速这些材料向新兴应用的过渡。该项目的总体目标是创建一个中试规模的工厂来生产这些专业材料的铸件和粉末。这种新工艺将产生潜在影响的一些选定的材料系统包括先进的钛基形状记忆合金和金属间化合物，如铌硅化化合物。这些新材料将为医疗和航空航天等行业的客户和用户创造价值。新工艺将通过销售铸件和粉末的收费生产服务以及直接销售所产生的设备来实现商业化。最后，更便宜、更容易生产中试规模的新型合金的能力将增强对这些材料的科学理解。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will demonstrate an improved method of producing advanced reactive and refractory metal alloys on a medium to large scale. The proposed concept will offer a route to produce alloys, castings and powder using clean melting techniques. Advanced titanium alloys, for example, require special processes to maintain their material properties. This process will allow the development of specialist alloys without the cost and complexity of large and expensive foundry processes and rolling mills. The process to be developed will take pure elemental material and produce castings or powder in one direct cycle. The Phase I project will focus on the design and construction of a furnace to accomplish these goals, and will also develop the key processing routes for successful melting, alloying and melt delivery. The concept rig to be developed will feature a hybrid of arc and induction cold crucibles.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project will be the creation of new methods for development of specialist and advanced reactive and refractory alloys. Currently there is no economically viable route for these alloys to move from small, lab-scale experiments to use in large-scale commercial applications. This new process will speed the process of transitioning these materials into emerging applications. The overall objective of this project is to create a pilot-scale plant to produce castings and powder of these specialist materials. Some selected material systems where this new process will have a potential impact include advance titanium-based shape memory alloys and intermetallics such as niobium-silicide based compounds. These new materials will create value for customers and users in the medical and aerospace industries, among others. The new process will be commercialized via the sale of a toll production service for castings and powder, and also via direct sales of the resulting equipment. Finally, the ability to more cheaply and easily produce pilot-scale quantities of novel alloys will enhance the scientific understanding of these materials.